The Chicago Bears took Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, and comparisons to Detroit Lions rising star Sam LaPorta instantly began pouring in. Moreover, Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who coached LaPorta, acknowledged those comps.
Johnson – and the many fans and prognosticators who said it – are not alone, though.
Many around the league see it, too, and Loveland’s pairing with Johnson is only part of the equation. The rest is the prospect himself.
Bears TE Colston Loveland Draws Bold Prediction From Rival Exec
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“Your first pick is in some way a statement about what this team needs and how they are going to play and how they are going to win,” an anonymous exec said, per The Athletic’s Mike Sando in comments published on May 2. “(Loveland) is an interesting choice, and I think you can tell it was coach-driven.”
Loveland had 101 receptions for 1,231 yards and 9 touchdowns over his last two seasons at Michigan.
Johnson pointed to Loveland’s character as much as what he is capable of on the field when explaining his reason for comparing the incoming rookie to LaPorta.
However, another executive told Sando that Loveland will be better for the Bears than LaPorta in Detroit.
“Loveland is going to catch a million balls,” the second exec said, per Sando. “He will be better than (Sam) LaPorta. He is such a good receiver, and he’s bigger — two inches taller and another 10 pounds. They will have an 11 personnel package with Burden in the slot and the 12 package when [Luther] Burden is off the field with Loveland and [Cole] Kmet on the field. They are set up pretty well.”
Not everyone was upbeat about Loveland’s selection, though, and part of that is due to Kmet’s presence.
“Chicago was interesting,” said yet another exec, per Sando. “They got a lot of love for the Colston Loveland pick, but they just extended Cole Kmet. That’s a lot of resources at the tight end position.”
Kmet is under contract through 2027, but there is no guaranteed money on his deal after 2025. The Bears also signed blocking tight end Durham Smythe in free agency this offseason. That could lead to greater use of heavy sets with all three players on the field together.
Ben Johnson Explains Colston Loveland-Sam LaPorta Comparison
In addition to being taller and heavier, Loveland is also the Bears’ first-round pick. LaPorta was a third-round pick, a fact that undoubtedly swayed how the start of his career has been viewed in general.
That is why Johnson’s explanation for the comparison was necessary context.
“I do see a lot of comparisons to LaPorta, but that’s not just on the field. That was off the field as well. Because with LaPorta, the stage was never too big or too bright. I felt that same thing with Colston the first time I met him. He doesn’t bat an eye. He performs at a high level,” Johnson told reporters on April 26.
“As we talk about where we’re going as an organization, and we’re going to be playing in these big games with the bright lights, we need guys that are going to rise up to the occasion, and he’s going to do that for us.”
There are questions about Loveland’s ability as a blocker.
His former head coach, Michigan’s Sherrone Moore, said Loveland will thrive as a pass-catcher but is far from a slouch blocking.
“I think he’s an extremely willing blocker,” Moore told Clocker Sports on April 25. He’s not the 270-pound, big, “Ys” [tight ends] that are in the NFL, or offensive alignment. But he’s going to put his face in there, he’s going to do the dirty work, he’s going to be as physical as he can.”
If Loveland lives up to his billing as a receiver, his blocking will be a bonus for the Bears.